Following the second annual Ambition Accelerator Summit, 24-year-old changemaker Victoria Lamar receives $25,000 in funding to help excel her education-focused initiative.
IRVINE, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — Taco Bell Foundation and nonprofit partner Ashoka announced today the top changemaker in the second Ambition Accelerator Summit, hosted at Taco Bell’s headquarters in Irvine, Calif. Victoria Lamar pitched Securing Degrees, a national scholarship coaching platform that helps students alleviate the financial burden of higher education, winning the challenge and receiving a $25,000 social impact grant.The top changemaker of the Taco Bell Foundation’s Ambition Accelerator, Victoria Lamar, founder of Securing Degrees.
Changemaker Recognition
The prize funding will enable the Atlanta-based initiative to expand and provide additional resources to students aged 17 to 22, especially those from underrepresented communities. Since 2018, Securing Degrees has assisted over 4,000 families in securing $20 million in scholarships, ensuring debt-free education. Students on the platform are provided access to experienced coaches who help identify scholarships, craft compelling narratives, and meet application deadlines.
“Participating in the Ambition Accelerator program has been a transformative experience,” said Victoria Lamar, the 2024 Ambition Accelerator grand prize recipient. “The support and resources provided are empowering me to drive meaningful change and will allow me to take Securing Degrees to the next level. I’m excited to see the positive impact Securing Degrees can make with the help of the Taco Bell Foundation and Ashoka.”
After receiving over 370 applications from young people across the country, the Taco Bell Foundation invited the top 50 changemakers, including Victoria, for an immersive experience at Taco Bell’s headquarters this week. These Summit Semi-Finalists were granted the opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills by participating in workshops focused on storytelling, community building, networking, and more. Each Semi-Finalist received $1,000 in seed funding for their social ventures, and five finalists were invited to a pitch competition. The grand prize recipient of the pitch competition received $25,000 in addition to previous competition awards and a Taco Bell gift card, gifted by Taco Bell Corp. The other four finalists were awarded an additional $5,000 each to further develop their projects.
“We created Ambition Accelerator to elevate the voices of our future leaders,” said Julie Davis, Global Chief Legal Officer, Taco Bell & Executive Sponsor, Taco Bell Foundation. “By fostering a supportive network and providing essential tools over the past few days, we hope these bright, socially motivated individuals will feel empowered to continue their work and make a difference in their communities.”
In addition to Securing Degrees, the other projects selected to participate in the pitch competition included:
Farms for Thought: Farms for Thought combats food deserts by deploying autonomous vertical farms in schools. Through partnerships and innovative technology, the program aims to improve access to healthy food, promote education, and empower communities.
Elevate the Navajo Nation: Navajo youth face challenges such as substance abuse, poverty, domestic violence, hopelessness, and lack of guidance. To address these issues, multi-generational Navajo leaders have created Elevate Navajo, a program that provides mentorship to help youth navigate these challenges. The program aims to build long-term, life-changing relationships, equipping Navajo youth to thrive and contribute to their community.
Every Kid Gets a Robot (EKGAR): Founded in 2019, The STEAM Connection is a 501(c)(3) charity led by youth and minorities, dedicated to democratizing technical education for Indigenous youth through robotics by providing free access to cutting-edge solutions. The STEAM Connection has created Every Kid Gets A Robot (EKGAR), an educational robotics kit that costs less than $20 to produce. It’s provided free of charge to K-12 students, boosting their technical skills by 70%. So far, EKGAR has reached 45,000 youth.
SignAll: Less than 0.1% of the hearing population understands sign language. SignAll is an AI-based sign language translation app that provides real-time translations by leveraging a mobile device’s camera at the person signing, helping to break down barriers in communication.
To narrow down these breakthrough ideas and select the winner, Taco Bell Foundation invited a panel of judges to deliberate including:
Kim Malek, Founder & CEO, Salt & Straw
Stephen Green, Founder, PitchBlack
Chris White, EVP of Brand Partnerships, The SpringHill Company
Neil Borkan, Taco Bell Franchisee & Chairman, Taco Bell Foundation
SG Ellison, Taco Bell Franchisee & President of Diversified Restaurant Group and A&C Ventures
Tim Bergevin, Vice President of Entertainment & Community Marketing, Taco Bell
“Meeting the participants and witnessing the connections they have made over these past few days is incredible,” said Tia Johnston Brown, Executive Director of Ashoka’s Youth Venture. “The Ambition Accelerator Summit embodies Ashoka and the Taco Bell Foundation’s mission to empower individuals to pursue their passion. These young people are already changing the world.”
Funded by Yum! Brand’s $100 million Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, Ambition Accelerator is dedicated to creating pathways for a more equitable and inclusive society. The inaugural Ambition Accelerator India Summit will be taking place in September in Bengaluru.
About Taco Bell Foundation
Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that helps break down barriers to educate and inspire the next generation of America’s young leaders. Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached more than 5 million young people across the country and has awarded more than $188 million in grants and scholarships, focused on education and career readiness. For more information about the Taco Bell Foundation, visit www.tacobellfoundation.org.
About Ashoka
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Ashoka is the largest global network of leading social entrepreneurs—individuals with new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and the entrepreneurial skill to transform those ideas into national, regional and global social impact. For over 40 years, Ashoka has supported over 4,000 social entrepreneurs in 90 countries with solutions addressing society’s most pressing issues. Ashoka’s vision is a world in which Everyone is a Changemaker—a society that responds quickly and effectively to challenges, and where every individual has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address any social problem. For more information, visit ashoka.org.
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Glad and Oscar the Grouch Team Up for a Trashy, Toe-Tapping Campaign
Glad teams up with Oscar the Grouch for a playful revival of the “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.” campaign, featuring a musical number, limited-edition Oscar-inspired trash bags, and a fresh take on making trash day fun for all ages.
Glad revives its most popular, decades-long, star-studded ad campaign, “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.”
What happens when the world’s most iconic grouch meets the nation’s go-to name in trash bags? You get a campaign that’s equal parts nostalgia, Broadway-style fun, and a reminder that even trash can bring a little joy to your day.
A Classic Campaign Gets a Grouchy Remix
Glad has officially revived its legendary “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.” campaign, but this time, they’re ditching the usual celebrity faces for a true original: Oscar the Grouch. For the first time, the campaign’s star is none other than Sesame Street’s resident trash enthusiast himself, and he’s bringing his signature tune “I Love Trash” back with a contemporary twist.
The musical number, directed by the award-winning duo Will Speck and Josh Gordon, opens with Oscar in his element—surrounded by trash and a little bit of grumpiness. But the real magic happens when Oscar imagines a world where everyone else shares his passion for trash. The result? A joyful, Broadway-inspired remix that transforms everyday frustration into a celebration of Glad’s dependable trash solutions.
Why Oscar? Why Now?
According to Glad’s Marketing Director, Kellie Li, the choice was simple: “No one feels more strongly about trash than Oscar the Grouch.” The campaign aims to flip the script on how we think about trash—turning a dreaded chore into something a little more lighthearted. With Glad’s reliable bags, there’s less to get mad about, and maybe, just maybe, a little more to sing about.
Nostalgia Meets New Audiences
If “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.” sounds familiar, you’re not imagining things. The campaign has been a staple since 1987, featuring everyone from TV stars to athletes. But this new chapter, featuring Oscar and a cast of trash-loving co-stars, is designed to connect with both longtime fans and a new generation discovering Sesame Street on Netflix and PBS KIDS.
Limited-Edition Oscar Goodies and Where to Find Them
To celebrate the campaign, Glad is releasing limited-edition Oscar-inspired trash bag totes—complete with green fur, of course. Fans can snag these playful bags through a social media giveaway this December (follow @gladproducts on Instagram and TikTok for details). And if you miss out, don’t worry: special Oscar-branded Glad ForceFlex with Gain bags will hit Walmart shelves this April, just in time for spring cleaning.
Where to Watch
The campaign is rolling out across the U.S. and Canada, with full-length videos, bite-sized social teasers, and everything in between. Look for it on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit (for our friends up north). Featured products include Glad ForceFlex with Gain and Glad Cherry Blossom.
Glad revives its most popular, decades-long, star-studded ad campaign, “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.”
Glad revives its most popular, decades-long, star-studded ad campaign, “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.”
Bringing the Campaign Home: Phoenix Community Clean-Up
Here in Phoenix, we know the value of coming together to keep our neighborhoods clean and vibrant. Glad’s collaboration with Oscar the Grouch isn’t just a fun national campaign—it’s a reminder that tackling trash can be a community effort, too.
With spring cleaning right around the corner and special Oscar-branded Glad bags hitting Walmart shelves this April, it’s the perfect time for local groups, schools, and neighbors to organize clean-up events across the Valley. Whether you’re sprucing up a park, refreshing a neighborhood, or just making your own block a little brighter, every bag makes a difference.
Ready to join the movement? Rally your friends, family, or local organization and plan a Phoenix clean-up day this spring. Snap a photo of your crew with your Glad or Oscar-inspired trash bags and share it on social media using #GladToCleanPHX and #OscarLovesTrash. Let’s show how Phoenix turns trash day into a reason to celebrate!
“Phoenix, let’s get grouchy about litter and Glad about clean streets! Join our community clean-up and share your photos with #GladToCleanPHX.”
“Spotted: Oscar the Grouch in Phoenix! Grab your Glad bags, clean up your neighborhood, and tag #OscarLovesTrash for a chance to be featured.”
“Spring cleaning in Phoenix just got a lot more fun—thanks to Glad and Oscar! Who’s joining our next clean-up day? #GladToCleanPHX”
About the Brands
Glad, a member of The Clorox Company, has long been a leader in household waste solutions, while Sesame Workshop continues to inspire and educate families worldwide. This collaboration is a perfect blend of dependable products and beloved characters—reminding us all that even the messiest moments can spark a little joy.
The collaboration between Glad and Sesame Workshop for the “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.” campaign marks a creative partnership that blends household dependability with beloved children’s entertainment. By bringing Oscar the Grouch into the spotlight, Glad not only revives a classic campaign but also highlights the importance of making everyday chores more enjoyable for families. This partnership leverages Glad’s reputation as the nation’s leading provider of kitchen and outdoor trash bags and food protection products—trusted solutions designed to handle life’s messes with ease (Glad.com). Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, has spent over 50 years enriching families worldwide through educational media and community outreach, helping children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder (Sesame.org). Together, their collaboration aims to inspire a new generation to see the positive side of cleaning up, all while celebrating the joy of community and play.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Turns Spare Change Into Holiday Hope with Feeding America Partnership
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet launches its sixth annual hOLLIEday Caring campaign with Feeding America, letting shoppers round up purchases to fight hunger. The initiative has raised over $4 million for local food banks since 2019.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Turns Spare Change Into Holiday Hope with Feeding America Partnership
When you’re hunting for bargains this holiday season, your spare change could do more than jingle in your pocket—it could put food on a neighbor’s table. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is launching its sixth annual hOLLIEday Caring campaign, partnering with Feeding America® to give shoppers an easy way to fight hunger right at the register. From December 7th through December 24th, customers can round up their purchases to support local food banks in communities where Ollie’s stores operate. It’s a small gesture that adds up fast—over the past five years, these round-ups have generated more than $4 million for families facing food insecurity.
Why This Campaign Matters More Than Ever
Food insecurity isn’t just a holiday problem—it’s a year-round crisis that intensifies when the calendar turns to November and December. Rising costs for food, housing, and healthcare have pushed millions of Americans into impossible choices: pay the electric bill or buy groceries? Fill a prescription or feed the kids? The Feeding America network has responded to this growing need by rescuing more than 4 billion pounds of wholesome food over the past year. But as demand increases, so does the pressure on food banks to keep shelves stocked and families fed. “The holidays can be a particularly challenging period for those in need and the food banks that support them,” the campaign announcement notes. “This is a time when families are forced to choose between food and other necessity items, food banks face rising demand, and families nationwide are turning to the Feeding America network of partner food banks to help make ends meet.”
How Round-Ups Create Real Impact
The beauty of Ollie’s hOLLIEday Caring campaign lies in its simplicity. There’s no complicated donation process, no separate transaction, no guilt-inducing ask at the checkout. Just a quick question: would you like to round up your purchase? That extra 37 cents or 82 cents might not seem like much in the moment, but multiply it across hundreds of thousands of transactions at 613 stores in 34 states, and suddenly you’re talking about meaningful resources for local food banks. “Our hOLLIEday Caring campaign encourages shoppers to turn spare change into meaningful support that puts food on the table for neighbors and creates the kind of real change and hope families need right now,” said Tom Kuypers, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Ollie’s.
A Partnership Built on Community Values
What makes this initiative particularly effective is that donations stay local. The funds raised support Feeding America’s network of partner food banks in the communities where Ollie’s operates, ensuring that your round-up in Pennsylvania helps Pennsylvania families, and your contribution in Arizona supports Arizona neighbors. This localized approach reflects Ollie’s broader commitment to the communities it serves. “At Ollie’s, caring for our associates, customers, and the communities in which they live in is a core value,” Kuypers emphasized. Elizabeth Pettengill, Interim Vice President of Corporate Partners at Feeding America, echoed that sentiment: “We are grateful for partners like Ollie’s who help make our work possible. Every round up at the register supports local food banks in communities across the country, helping to ensure families can bring meals home during the holidays and beyond.”
Beyond the Holidays
While the hOLLIEday Caring campaign runs through Christmas Eve, the need for food assistance doesn’t end when the decorations come down. Food insecurity is a persistent challenge that requires sustained support throughout the year. That’s why partnerships like this one matter—they create awareness, build habits of giving, and demonstrate how easily everyday shoppers can contribute to solutions. When charitable giving is integrated into routine activities like grocery shopping or bargain hunting, it becomes accessible to everyone, not just those with disposable income to spare.
How to Participate
If you’re shopping at Ollie’s between December 7th and December 24th, simply say yes when the cashier asks if you’d like to round up your purchase. That’s it. Your spare change will be directed to Feeding America’s network of local food banks, helping families in your community access the food they need. And if Ollie’s isn’t part of your regular shopping routine, consider how you might support local food banks in other ways—whether through direct donations, volunteering, or participating in similar round-up campaigns at other retailers. The holidays remind us that community isn’t just about celebration—it’s about showing up for each other, especially when times are tough. Sometimes that looks like a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s as simple as rounding up to the nearest dollar.
About Ollie’s Bargain Outlet
Ollie’s is a leading off-price retailer specializing in brand name closeout merchandise and excess inventory. With 613 stores across 34 states, the company’s mission is to sell “Good Stuff Cheap®” at prices up to 70% below traditional retailers. Learn more at ollies.com. For more stories about people making a difference in the community, whether it’s locally or globally, visit our Stories of Change section.Sources:
Looking for more ways to support families facing food insecurity? Visit your local food bank’s website to learn about donation opportunities, volunteer shifts, and community programs.
Latin America’s Religious Shift: More Say ‘Yes’ to God but ‘No’ to Church
New research on 220,000 Latin Americans reveals a paradox: church affiliation dropped from 93% to 82% and attendance is declining, yet personal faith remains strong. Discover why Latin America’s religious decline differs dramatically from Europe and the US.
A woman takes part in a Christ of May procession in Santiago, Chile, parading a relic from a destroyed church’s crucifix through the city. AP Photo/Esteban Felix
Latin America’s Religious Shift: More Say ‘Yes’ to God but ‘No’ to Church
Matthew Blanton, The University of Texas at Austin In a region known for its tumultuous change, one idea remained remarkably consistent for centuries: Latin America is Catholic. The region’s 500-year transformation into a Catholic stronghold seemed capped in 2013, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the first Latin American pope. Once a missionary outpost, Latin America is now the heart of the Catholic Church. It is home to over 575 million adherents – over 40% of all Catholics worldwide. The next-largest regions are Europe and Africa, each home to 20% of the world’s Catholics. Yet beneath this Catholic dominance, the region’s religious landscape is changing. First, Protestant and Pentecostal groups have experienced dramatic growth. In 1970, only 4% of Latin Americans identified as Protestant; by 2014, the share had climbed to almost 20%. But even as Protestant ranks swelled, another trend was quietly gaining ground: a growing share of Latin Americans abandoning institutional faith altogether. And, as my research shows, the region’s religious decline shows a surprising difference from patterns elsewhere. While fewer Latin Americans are identifying with a religion or attending services, personal faith remains strong.Women known as ‘animeras,’ who pray for the souls of the deceased, walk to a church for Day of the Dead festivities in Telembi, Ecuador.AP Photo/Carlos Noriega
Religious decline
In 2014, 8% of Latin Americans claimed no religion at all. This number is twice as high as the percentage of people who were raised without a religion, indicating that the growth is recent, coming from people who left the church as adults. However, there had been no comprehensive study of religious change in Latin America since then. My new research, published in September 2025, draws on two decades of survey data from over 220,000 respondents in 17 Latin American countries. This data comes from the AmericasBarometer, a large, region-wide survey conducted every two years by Vanderbilt University that focuses on democracy, governance and other social issues. Because it asks the same religion questions across countries and over time, it offers an unusually clear view of changing patterns. Overall, the number of Latin Americans reporting no religious affiliation surged from 7% in 2004 to over 18% in 2023. The share of people who say they are religiously unaffiliated grew in 15 of the 17 countries, and more than doubled in seven. On average, 21% of people in South America say they do not have a religious affiliation, compared with 13% in Mexico and Central America. Uruguay, Chile and Argentina are the three least religious countries in the region. Guatemala, Peru and Paraguay are the most traditionally religious, with fewer than 9% who identify as unaffiliated. Another question scholars typically use to measure religious decline is how often people go to church. From 2008 to 2023, the share of Latin Americans attending church at least once a month decreased from 67% to 60%. The percentage who never attend, meanwhile, grew from 18% to 25%. The generational pattern is stark. Among people born in the 1940s, just over half say they attend church regularly. Each subsequent generation shows a steeper decline, dropping to just 35% for those born in the 1990s. Religious affiliation shows a similar trajectory – each generation is less affiliated than the one before.
Personal religiosity
However, in my study, I also examined a lesser-used measure of religiosity – one that tells a different story. That measure is “religious importance”: how important people say that religion is in their daily lives. We might think of this as “personal” religiosity, as opposed to the “institutional” religiosity tied to formal congregations and denominations.People attend a Mass marking the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 26, 2024.AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd Like church attendance, overall religious importance is high in Latin America. In 2010, roughly 85% of Latin Americans in the 17 countries whose data I analyzed said religion was important in their daily lives. Sixty percent said “very,” and 25% said “somewhat.” By 2023, the “somewhat important” group declined to 19%, while the “very important” group grew to 64%. Personal religious importance was growing, even as affiliation and church attendance were falling. Religious importance shows the same generational pattern as affiliation and attendance: Older people tend to report higher levels than younger ones. In 2023, 68% of people born in the 1970s said religion was “very important,” compared with 60% of those born in the 1990s. Yet when you compare people at the same age, the pattern reverses. At age 30, 55% of those born in the 1970s rated religion as very important. Compare that with 59% among Latin Americans born in the 1980s, and 62% among those born in the 1990s. If this trend continues, younger generations could eventually show greater personal religious commitment than their elders.
Affiliation vs. belief
What we are seeing in Latin America, I’d argue, is a fragmented pattern of religious decline. The authority of religious institutions is waning – fewer people claim a faith; fewer attend services. But personal belief isn’t eroding. Religious importance is holding steady, even growing. This pattern is quite different from Europe and the United States, where institutional decline and personal belief tend to move together. Eighty-six percent of unaffiliated people in Latin America say they believe in God or a higher power. That compares with only 30% in Europe and 69% in the United States. Sizable proportions of unaffiliated Latin Americans also believe in angels, miracles and even that Jesus will return to Earth in their lifetime. In other words, for many Latin Americans, leaving behind a religious label or skipping church does not mean leaving faith behind.An Aymara Indigenous spiritual guide blesses a statue of baby Jesus with incense after an Epiphany Mass at a Catholic church in La Paz, Bolivia, on Jan. 6, 2025.AP Photo/Juan Karita This distinctive pattern reflects Latin America’s unique history and culture. Since the colonial period, the region has been shaped by a mix of religious traditions. People often combine elements of Indigenous beliefs, Catholic practices and newer Protestant movements, creating personal forms of faith that don’t always fit neatly into any one church or institution. Because priests were often scarce in rural areas, Catholicism developed in many communities with little direct oversight from the church. Home rituals, local saints’ festivals and lay leaders helped shape religious life in more independent ways. This reality challenges how scholars typically measure religious change. Traditional frameworks for measuring religious decline, developed from Western European data, rely heavily on religious affiliation and church attendance. But this approach overlooks vibrant religiosity outside formal structures – and can lead scholars to mistaken conclusions. In short, Latin America reminds us that faith can thrive even as institutions fade. Matthew Blanton, PhD Candidate, Sociology and Demography, The University of Texas at Austin This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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